Quote:

Los Angeles, California (CNN) -- A 16-year-old California girl who is attempting to sail solo around the world triggered a distress signal during rough seas in the Indian Ocean on Thursday, her family said.

Abby Sunderland's family began scrambling to organize a search-and-rescue effort for her after they learned her emergency beacon was detected just an hour after they last spoke to her, according to Jeff Casher, an engineer on her support team.

Sunderland's small sailboat was adrift in the middle of the Indian Ocean about 2,000 miles east of Madagascar, 2,000 miles west of Australia and 500 miles north of the French Antarctic Islands, Casher said Thursday afternoon.
The government of Reunion -- a French island -- diverted a fishing boat toward her last known position, but it is not expected to reach the area until Saturday, Casher said. An Australian military ship, more than two days sail away, has also been dispatched, Casher said.

Friends in Australia have chartered an Airbus jet to fly over the area at sunrise Friday to see if Sunderland's vessel could be spotted from the air, he said.

Electronic signals from the boat indicate it is drifting at just a mile per hour, which means it is still afloat but not under sail, Casher said.

The mast might have fallen or Sunderland could have been injured, preventing her from sailing, he said.
Sunderland's father, who has been monitoring her journey from their Thousand Oaks, California, home, was emotional, but "he was trying to keep in positive spirits," according to Peter Thomas, a freelance journalist who spoke to Laurence Sunderland Thursday.

"Abby has all of the equipment on board to survive a crisis situation like this," her family said in a statement on their website. "She has a dry suit, survival suit, life raft, and ditch bag with emergency supplies. If she can keep warm and hang on, help will be there as soon as possible."

Sunderland began her journey from Marina del Rey, California, on January 23 with the goal of sailing her 40-foot boat around the world without stopping. Mechanical troubles forced her to make two stops for repairs, including at Cape Town, South Africa, in April.

She's kept in touch with family and followers through a satellite telephone. Her website has published frequent blog updates, including one posted Wednesday.

"The last few days have [been] pretty busy out here," Sunderland wrote in her last blog entry. "I've been in some rough weather for awhile with winds steady at 40-45 knots with higher gusts. With that front passing, the conditions were lighter today."

Sunderland is a "very determined" and "very capable sailor," Thomas said.

"She's pretty much unfazed by most everything, but she had been fatigued by this period of winds which she's been going through for several days now," he said.

When Abby's older brother Zac sailed around the world alone last year he became the youngest person to ever do so.

Australian Jessica Watson took over the distinction last month when she completed a non-stop solo circumnavigation just three days before her 17th birthday.

Abby has been on a schedule to complete her global journey about two months before her 17th birthday, which is on October 19.

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The Vapor said:

There are parents who won't let their sixteen year old child stay at home alone for a couple days, never mind sail around the world...

Not sure what these parents are thinking.

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Quote:

"Abby has all of the equipment on board to survive a crisis situation like this," her family said in a statement on their website. "She has a dry suit, survival suit, life raft, and ditch bag with emergency supplies. If she can keep warm and hang on, help will be there as soon as possible."

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Spiderbaby said:

. . . . . oh well she's not me so i don't give a fuck

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FractalDust said:

Spiderbaby said:

. . . . . oh well she's not me so i don't give a fuck

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I agree with Spider.

Fuck her and her retarded parents for letting her attempt this stunt

I see this on the same par as the balloon baby parents.
This just a stunt to get a spot on TV

nismo2491 said:

The Vapor said:

There are parents who won't let their sixteen year old child stay at home alone for a couple days, never mind sail around the world...

Not sure what these parents are thinking.

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then again, she's not gonna get knocked up / overdose / wreck the house with a mega party while sailing solo around the world...

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That's great justification.

niteowl said:

I see this on the same par as the balloon baby parents.
This just a stunt to get a spot on TV

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lovi said:

can we say bad good parenting

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12 yo: "Daddy, I want to sail around the world."

Me: "ok"

12 yo: "How, daddy?"

Me: "that's up to you"


Skip forward four years, my kid has a boat and skillz.


16 yo: "Daddy, I want to sail around the world. I've got a boat now, and skillz."

Me: "ok, let's talk safety"

cryptic_pickle said:

Ahh, She'll probably be alright.  Its funny how one rich Westener girl who is sailing around in a boat for no good reason, gets so much attention.
While refugees crammed into leaky often falling apart boats, with little food, running for there lives are shunned and put into prison when they hit
land...  Funny how life works.

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